An exterior exposed brick or stone wall brings with it a stunning timeless aesthetic that is unmatched. A plastered block wall would lack this eye capturing feature, inviting an exterior finish that serves as both decorative as well as weatherproofing option.
Choosing the right material for the exterior finish or cladding is dependent on climate, personal choice and budgetary constraints. The choice, however, does not end with merely the type of cladding to be used but also the correct fastener for the material to ensure the cladding stays fastened.
Stucco is a commonly opted cladding where it can be applied directly to blocks or bricks, creating a decorative and also a weatherproof, protective exterior. Whether it is smooth, patterned, or rough, the stuccoing involves plastering skills and experience in achieving the required finish.
Siding, which is another form of cladding, is equally popular where the material can be brick, stone, wood, or clay, amongst a variety of other options that include synthetic. However, bricks and wood can prove to be far more expensive than stucco or even vinyl. Natural stone is equally expensive especially given its heaviness, making it tough to install.
Excellent finish
Easier on the purse are synthetic substitutes that simulate the natural material sought, such as engineered wood in place of hardwood. Engineered wood not only provides greater choice but also excellent finish and versatility.
Stone likewise has a cultured alternative which is a manufactured stone veneer product that replicates natural stone in its size, shape and texture. Unlike natural stone, cultured stone is lightweight, offering installation advantages, but comes at a higher price. Being an engineered product, it is also available irrespective of geographical locations.
To ensure the cladding opted for the exterior remains sturdy and long lasting, it is important to have certain systems and design principles in place. For, cladding especially in a high-rise building, runs the risk of falling, because of the height, the thickness of the material bringing with it heaviness. This calls for mechanical or physical strapping besides the chemicals used for pasting.
Says Architect Dinesh Verma, of ACE Group Architects, “Due to temperature variations and humidity, the materials used for cladding tend to contract and expand and this can prompt them to break loose and fall. There needs to be in place a system that allows it to breathe, a substructure beneath it, binding the cladding to the main structure. This substructure breathes, permitting water, air to work their way in without affecting the main structure or the cladding material.”
Dry and wet fitting
He adds that there should be a proper drainage system underneath to keep the cladding fastened. While this system of cladding pertains to “dry fitting”, useful for materials such as wood, metal, stone, clay tiles, and synthetic materials that mime natural materials, in smaller structures, “wet fitting” can be opted.
“In wet cladding, the material is physically bound to the main structure through ement or adhesives that increase the strength of cement when mixed with it and also hastens the setting process”, says Verma. Butthe wet cladding process is applicable only to materials such as clay tiles and stone while wood will need a framework to fit in.
According to him, cladding in wet fitting can fall when the bonding material is not fully absorbed. “This is especially so if the cladding material is smooth like clay tiles or smooth stones, the absence of the rough edges preventing the absorption of the cem ent and adhesive.” To preclude this, currently, roughing the under surface of the cladding material has become the norm.”
